Automotive designs are pressed into being more flexible and modifiable both by manufacturers as well as end consumers. In addition to their flexibility, their structures must accommodate an ever-increasing range of electronic features. As such, wiring become complicated and costly. In addition, complex hard wiring schemes may interfere with the design flexibility sought after by consumers.
One such incidence of the conflict between electronic features and desired flexibility arises in the field of passenger safety detection. Specifically, existing automotive safety features commonly call for the electronic determination of passenger presence and proper seatbelt usage during vehicle operation. Existing hard-wired systems, however, add undue cost and complexity to vehicle manufacturing. In addition, in the case of features such as removable seat rows, often existing hard wire systems are difficult or impossible to apply to such seating. What is needed is a buckle-up status system that was not reliant on hard wiring to operate such that removable or replaceable seats would not impact sensor system performance. It would be further valuable to have such a system that could be integrated into existing vehicle operating systems to improve cost effectiveness and simplicity of installation.